The Dallas ISD Office of Transformation and Innovation announced plans today for seven new choice schools.
The schools are the finalists from the latest Public School Choice Proposal Process, where educators can create high-quality, best-fit options for Dallas ISD students to realize their full academic potential. This year’s proposal process resulted in twice as many finalists as previous cycles.
These seven schools were selected from a pool of 14 proposals that were submitted into the district’s most recent Public School Choice proposal selection process, which was was open to educators locally and nationwide.
OTI Director Shakeatha Butler said the new choice schools will have a significant positive impact for families.
“We are bringing choice schools into feeder patterns and regions that have been underserved,” Butler said. “Now more students will get the types of learning opportunities that we have seen thousands of their peers benefit from.”
The seven approved choice school proposals are:
- A Downtown Montessori K-8 Transformation School (pending location) that would serve as a leading education option for Downtown residents and employees and offered in a high-quality, diverse and inspiring environment;
- Solar Prep for Boys; a single-gender Transformation replication elementary school for boys that would mirror the successful model of Solar Preparatory School for Girls;
- LO. Donald Leadership Academy, an Innovation school which would empower students to envision themselves as leaders capable of addressing any challenge by equipping with the skills and abilities to communicate effectively, solve complex problems, and positively impact their world;
- John H. Reagan S.T.E.A.M. Academy, an Innovation school where through dedication and hard work, students will learn and flourish through personal and academic accomplishment;
- Lorenzo De Zavala Elementary School will move from Innovation pilot to a full Innovation school and will offer a Montessori model where students will become self-motivated, responsible, critical thinkers and leaders;
- Fredrick Douglass S.T.E.M. Academy, an Innovation pilot school that will prepare students to lead and be competitive in a technological society;
- Thelma Richardson Elementary School, an Innovation pilot school that will offer a personalized learning model where every student can achieve their maximum potential in an environment that values high expectations, creativity and good citizenship.
This will bring the total of OTI Choice campuses to 24 schools, which is toward the district goal of creating 35 OTI Choice schools by 2020.
For more information about Public School Choice, visit www.dallasisd.org/choice, email choice@dallasisd.org, or call 972-925–3306.
